, 1887-12-22


ali indications he seems unwilling
tti.-st a a--.-.ahood bill should pass thi-
winter at AL.
In ms annual report the Secretary
Of the Navy asks for authority to
construct more large cruisers, point
ing ont clearly tuat the present navy |
viii be coudom ned and worthless in I.
few years, lie also speaks Of the
necessity OF naval station on Puget
Sound, to which he refers as the
source c'f future supply of coal and
v.~eliove it would be couducivg
lie welfare of Port Townsend if
or debt limit were enlarged by the
Ie8lslatugs. Public improvements
shoulc>Se made that will require cx-
ne There are just two ways of
oGding for the expense, viz: To
n debt, or to borrow the money.
Naly other alternative is to drift
=, "Ithout improvements. We do
LOT believe in taxing property to
death to raise public funds-and yet
we want the Improvements. The
city is already up to its limit. If it
goes beyond that, the result is de-
preciated scrip, specializing On city
credit, and big interest load, with
inadequate results for money ex
pended A five thousand dollar
debt limit for city like Port Town
send is ridiculously small.
In the London Truth Mr.. La
bouchere explains why he is Il free
trader in the following language: Il
am no fanatical free trader; am one
geographically If [ had been an
American should have been a pro
tectionist. Being an Englishman /
am q free trader. If l were Ca.
madam l should advocate custom
union with the United States, al
though, as an Englisman, | should
be sorry If this union were effected
The mistake of political economy is
to suppose that it is based on princi
pies of universal application. My
reason, as an Enhlishman, for being
free trader is not any Theoretical
admiration of free trade, but because
we should lose more than we shoulc
gain by protection" Thai hits The
nail exactly, and is the position
Blaine occupies in the United States
He is an American, and hence ;
protectionist- because he has sagacity
enough to know that the protective
system means financial gain to tht
nation, while free trade would meaI
corresponding financial loss. Th,
whole question is one of financia
business policy, and prosperity of tn,
masses through judicious business
arrangements with other countries.
Mr.. Sharpstein of Walla Wall;
has introduced a bill to regulat,
freights and fares on railroads From
all Indications there is SO much hos
tlity to corporations that the bill may
pass-and yet we feel like protesting
against drawing the lines too closely
We believe in protecting the right.
of The masses, and in compelling
soulless corporations to deal Justly
with those who ha:Ve q right to exac
fair treatment by them; yet, we be-
lieve in the principle of live and le
live," even in dealing with corpora,
tions. At the risk of being denounced
IS a railroad hireling," we arise tc
ask If the restrictions imposed are
not so onerous as to discourage if moi
absolutely stop railroad building il
the Territory? There is such thing
as carrying even good measure toe
far. Until we have sufficient popu.
lation TO create large business fol
common carriers, it would seem to be
better to encourage rather than fight
them. Wouldn't it be the part oi
wisdom to get the railroads first and
fight them afterward? These queries
are not wholly in the interest OF tho
'Port Townsend Southern" and YET
we have lively appreciation of the
fact that very large scope of country
lies out of doors between the Straits
of Fuca on the north and the Column
bia river on the south, and between
Admiralty Inlet on the east and the
Pacific ocean on the west-a scope OF
country almost wholly undeveloped-
a scope of country that can be devel
oped only by railroad The rail
road must be largely the forerunneI
of civilization. Does it seem likely
that outside capital will be readily
placed in this great enterprise if the
chances of profit are reduced to u
minimum? What is true of this
side of the Sound is equally true
of the other. We know it is
fashionable among demagogue
politicians to rush into extremes
against corporations-in the interest
of the dear people" but when it
comes to action, to results, there Is
such thing as going far enough
east to become west; such thing
as defeating the very object sought
working injury to the interests Of
the people, by doing too much We
believe in multiplying our common
carriers instead Of crushing them